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Third Grade. Principles of ornament: First class—Caroline Blair; second class—Madeline Browne; 0 failed. Light and shade : First class—Marianne A. T. Small, William H. T. Partington, James T. Hogan ; second class—Fortescue F. C. Huddleston; 0 failed. School Works sent to South Kensington for Examination. For Art Master's Certificate. —Flowers and foliage from nature : Accepted—Ethel W. Anderson, Caroline Blair ; not accepted, 0. For Art Class Teacher's Certificate. —Shading from the cast: Accepted—Fred Atkins, Catherine D. Grant, Minnie Jones; not accepted, 0. Outline from the cast: Accepted—Leonard J. Watkins; not accepted, 2. Shading from models: Accepted—Leonard J. Watkins; not accepted, 0. I have, &c, The Chairman, Wanganui Education Board. David Blair.

3. TECHNICAL SCHOOL, WELLINGTON.— REPORT OP THE DIRECTOR. Sib,— Wellington, Ist March, 1896. I haye the honour to submit my report upon primary drawing and the work of the Technical School for 1895, as follows :— Primary Drawing. The work in connection with the primary schools has been of a satisfactory character throughout the year. lam glad to report that clay-modelling, pattern-drawing, flat tinting, and cardboard work have made a steady advance in a fair number of schools. Manual Instruction.—The Minister of Education having practically guaranteed pound for pound for the cost of establishing a central class for manual instruction, the workshop at present in use by the school was provided with appliances to accommodate twenty boys. Mr. Barrett was appointed instructor, with Mr. Anderson as assistant. The number of boys present the first quarter was sixty-eight. This number fell in the second quarter to thirty-eight, and in the third to thirty-two, although some of the boys attended the evening class during the last two quarters in preference to the day. As the classes were but a trial, the methods and arrangements were not perfect. Towards the end of the year arrangements were made for special drawing exercises being given to the boys in connection with their woodwork. A series of diagrams have now been prepared, and will be used throughout the classes. Many boys were disappointed, inasmuch as they were expecting at once to make some object; others, again, retired after the newness had worn off. Until the nature of the instruction is understood, steadiness cannot be expected. Much opposition has been encountered from persons who have no understanding of what the aims are, but this will steadily be overcome by the success of those boys who continue at work. There is no idea of teaching a trade in this work. The whole purpose is to cultivate handiness and, at the same time, practical intelligence. It would be absurd to try to teach young children a trade before they have acquired the rudiments of knowledge; but it is equally absurd to confine their early education to book-learning, which gives no training to the eyes or hand. We wish to train the children to be handy and useful. The object of the classes is to teach boys of the upper standards some simple handwork, such as how to use simple tools in working with wood, the work being done from patterns and examples drawn by the boys themselves. I should be glad to see the Liverpool and Manchester method of instruction adopted, the fee being nominal, the boys being instructed in sections throughout the week. Fiest-gbade Dbawing Examination.'—ln this examination the following were the results : The total number of papers issued was 7,010; and the number worked, 6,384. Subdivision of papers: Freehand, 1,970—1,020 passed, 950 failed; geometry, 2,074—1,442 passed, 632 failed; scale, 1,473—839 passed, 634 failed ; model, 867—449 passed, 418 failed: total, 6,384 papers; 3,750 passed, 2,634 failed. Of the above papers, 1,142 were taken by schools not under the Wellington Board, and 634 passes were recorded. Number of papers "excellent," 303; number of papers "good," 706; individual candidates, 4,042 ; individual passes, 2,864 ; schools presenting candidates, 101. Increase upon 1894: Papers worked, 907; individual candidates, 455; individual passes, 425. In the freehand papers, proportion was again one of the main causes of failure, and a large number showed want of appreciation of the character of the figure. There are still a very large number of candidates who ought never to have been presented. The geometrical papers show generally good work, but a more thorough knowledge of the definitions is necessary. The scale papers still give evidence of weakness in a most important point—viz., the construction of the scale. The model papers show steady improvement. There is still a tendency to draw the objects too small. The number of papers applied for from outside districts was 1,142, almost double the number of last year. The schools were from the Auckland, Greymouth, Marlborough, Nelson, and Wanganui Districts. Several Wellington schools not under the control of the Education Board sent up candidates for examination. Undoubtedly this examination has done more towards developing a sound basis for technical education than any other primary work. The results speak for themselves in the following return, showing the number of passes recorded since the examination was established : In 1884, 80 passes ; in 1888, 600 passes; in 1890, 1,966 passes ; in 1892, 2,413 passes ; in 1895, 3,750 passes. The total number of certificates issued from 1884 to 1895 is 19,282. The number of full firstgrade certificates (embracing passes in four subjects) issued up to date is 941.